Tooth brush



April 11, 1939. H. c. PETERSON TOOTH BRUSH Filed May 17, 1957 Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in toothbrushes which are especially adapted for use' in brushing the teeth and massaging the gums.

The primary object of the invention is to pro- I vide a toothbrush having a bristle arrangement ,which'is most practicably adapted to all interproximal spaces of either dental arch of average size, thereby eliminating unnecessary bending of the bristles, which will enable the bristles to function in an orderly fashion to lessen gum injury and which will materially increase the life of the brush; which will enable the bristles to reach the hidden areas most susceptible to decay;

and which will effect reinforcement of the particular bristles intended to reach the most inaccessible areas, thereby makingthe brush more adapted to the sweeping motion used in gum massage.

Other objects and advantages of the invention willbe apparent during the course of the following description.

In theaccompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed'to designatev like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a complete toothbrush embodying this invention;

' Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the so toothbrush head detached from the handle;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the handle portion of the toothbrush illustrated in Figure 1 with the head disclosed in Figure 2 detached therefrom;

'Figure 4 is'a partial plan view of the upper dental arch illustrating the spacing of the rows of bristle groups lengthwise of the brush head to most practically adapt the brush to the inter-v proximal spaces of the dental arch;

Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4 and illustrates the adaptability of the'bristles for brushing' the lingual surfaces of the teeth when the brush is moved lengthwise; Figure 6 is a schematic view disclosing portions of the upper and lower jaws and illustrating the adaptability of the bristles for massaging the gum tissues and brushing the interproximal areas most susceptible to decay; and

Figure '7 is a schematic view disclosing a portion of an upper jaw and illustrates the adaptability' ofv the bristles to the occlusal or morsal surfaces and to the ginsival cavities. Referring particularly to Figures 1 to 3 inelusive, there is shown a toothbrush head which includes the back In which has projecting from one face thereof a plurality of transversely extending rows of bristle groups, the rows being designated as such by the reference character II. This row formation is best illustrated in Figure 1. By inspecting Figure 2, it will be seen 5 that each row II is made up of three groups of bristles which are designated by the reference character I! for the center group and II for each side group.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be seen that the 10 various transverse rows ll of bristle groups are spaced longitudinally of the brush head It a greater distance than is conventional with toothbrush arrangements. These rows of bristles are spaced approximately five millimeters from cen- 15 ter to center. This spacing is most practicably adapted to all inter-proximal spaces of either dental arch of average size.' It will be noted that the bristles forming each row H are of proper length to provide wedge-shaped or tapered outer end portions. These tapered extremities permit the bristle rows to penetrate, to a considerable extent, the spaces between the teeth, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 4. Each of the three groups of bristles l2 and it, when viewed at an end of a 35 row as in Figure 1, is formed with the same dimeter at its base or where it leaves thebacking member ID.

Referring particularly to Figure 2, it will be noted that the center group of bristles I2 is so approximately twice the diameter of the side groups of bristles l3 at the bases of said groups. The diameter of the center group I2 is approximatelyvflve millimeters. The diameter of each side group I3 is approximately two and one half 35 millimeters. The groups l2 and it are spaced preferably approximately one millimeter at their bases.

Figure 2 discloses the fact that the contour' formed by the extremities of the bristles in a row 40 forms an arc of marked degree. The longest bristles of the center group I2 preferably measure approximately fifteen millimeters in length. The shortest outside bristles 'for the side groups i 2 measure approximately nine millimeters in 45 length. This close positioning of the shorter groups [3 relative to the comparatively long and wide group I2 enables the side groups to reinforce the center group and accomplishes uniform application of the bristles to the gum tissues when 50 the buccal, the labial, and the lingual areas of the gums are being massaged, as illustrated in the positions a. and b of Figure 6. I

For the sake of economy, I have disclosed the brush head It as being detachably connected to u gers are received within the depressions I9.

Positions 0 and d of Figure 6 and position e of Figure 4 illustrate the adaptability of the arrangement of the rows H and the contour of these rows for brushing the interproximal spaces between the teeth. Positions 0 and d illustrate the manner in which the tapered extremities H (see Figure 1) are capable of reaching the areas most susceptible to decay and indicated by the reference characters 1 and g in Figure 6. Figure 5 illustrates the positionh of the brush and discloses the adaptability of the bristles to treat the lingual surfaces of the teeth when the brush is manipulated lengthwise.

"Positioni of Figure 7 illustrates the adaptability of the bristles to the occlusal or morsal surfaces of the teeth, thus approaching the areas where the pit and fissure class of cavities begins, as designated by the character 7 in this figure. The position designated by the character It in Figure 7 discloses the adaptability of the bristles to the gingival portion of a tooth wherein cavities of the character designated by the reference character m form and which are classified asthe gingival third cavities.

It is believed to be unnecessary to describe in detail the manner in which the toothbrush structure embodying this invention is employed for brushing the teeth and messaging the gums. Figures 4 to '7, inclusive, very clearly illustrate these uses of the brush.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

A toothbrush of the type described comprising a back member having projecting from one face thereof a plurality of transversely extending rows of bristle groups with three closely positioned groups to each row, all of the said rows being spaced a distance substantially equal to that of the inter-proximal spaces of either dental arch of average size, the bristles forming each row being of proper length transversely of the row to collectivelyform a tapered outer end portion and longitudinally of the row to collectively form an arc with the bristles at the center of the are being of greater length thanthe bristles at the opposite sides of the row and with this difference in length exceeding the spacing between said rows, all of the groups of bristles forming each row being of equal diameter transversely at the base of the row, the center group of bristles of each row having a diameter at its base and longitudinally of its row which approximately equals the spacing between rows, the end groups of each row having a combined diameter at their base and iongitudinally of the row which approximately equals the said diameter of the center group.

HOWARD C. PETERSON. 

